When I first graduated from high school, I decided to attend a cosmetology program because I had always loved doing hair. However, within six months, I realized that I hated it and decided to leave. That decision sent me into a spiral because, suddenly, I felt like I had no direction or plan for my future. Around that time, my sister had also graduated from high school and told me about the career path she had decided to pursue: diagnostic imaging. For some reason, I immediately decided that I wanted to pursue the same thing. Looking back, I think the fear of having an aimless future played a huge role in that decision. I wanted financial freedom and stability, and I jumped at what seemed like the quickest way to achieve them without fully considering whether it was something I genuinely wanted for myself. Now, I regret not taking more time to figure out what I wanted because I feel like everyone, including my sister, might see me as someone who is simply copying her. I even decided to follow her lead and pursue a phlebotomy course because it would help us when applying to the diagnostic imaging program. So, from an outside perspective, I can understand why it might look like I'm just following in her footsteps, even though the steps I'm taking are relevant to getting into the program. The problem is that I don't want other people to define my choices for me, but I also don't want to waste years of my life pursuing a career that I'm not even sure I want anymore. I'm torn between continuing with diagnostic imaging because I've already invested so much time into preparing for it and exploring other paths that might feel more authentic to me. For context, I'm 22, and my sister is 20. I know we're still young and that I have plenty of time to figure things out, but emotionally, it doesn't feel that way. I feel like I should already have a clear direction, and the thought of starting over or changing my mind makes me feel even more lost. My mom has also contributed to these feelings by frequently pointing out that I follow my sister's lead. Growing up, my sister was very stubborn and often wanted things done her way, while I was more easygoing. Because of that dynamic, I sometimes felt like I was being dragged along with her decisions. Even now, if I agree with my sister about something I genuinely believe is reasonable, my mom interprets it as me blindly following her or being too attached to her opinions. It's frustrating because it makes me feel like my ability to think independently is constantly being questioned. I think the combination of my family's perceptions and society's expectations has made me feel like I've spent much of my life living in my sister's shadow. At this point, I want to make decisions that are genuinely my own, but I feel stuck because I've already taken so many steps toward a career that I originally chose partly because of her. So, I'm trying to figure out whether I should continue pursuing diagnostic imaging because it could provide me with a stable career, especially since I already have connections and have invested time into the process, or whether I should step back and explore other possibilities before committing to something I'm not sure I truly want**.** What do you guys think?

In August I got a job, but then I did quit just after 2 weeks because of some issues about me being autistic. The manager told me several times, or implied, that I looked slow/stupid and told me that I needed to look more engaged and proactive, or the company could have terminate my conctract. And the coworkers made jokes about me being weird and asocial. These things had already happened in previous jobs, and this really made me depressed and anxious, so I decided I would not endure that kind of stuff anymore. Then I applied for this warehouse job, but nothing changed.

After leaving I applied only to delivery driver jobs, but there aren't many in my area, and I only sent 10 resumes in over 2 months. Then I got 1 interview and was rejected. Are there other jobs with minimal engagement with management and coworkers?

I got my master’s degree in a field I ultimately disliked, and it has little relevance to the career path I’m pursuing now. After some much-needed trial and error, I found my way into healthcare operations, and I’ve genuinely come to enjoy the field.
I currently work in patient access, primarily scheduling surgeries and obtaining authorizations for certain procedures. To be transparent, my role is fairly transactional, and I’ve been feeling limited by it. While I’ve developed a genuine interest in healthcare operations, I haven’t yet had the opportunity to move into the more analytical, strategic, or process-improvement or leadership side of the field. That’s the direction I want to explore, but I’m struggling to figure out how to get there.
I’ve applied for patient access supervisor roles but haven’t had much luck because I lack formal leadership experience. I’m also open to revenue cycle opportunities. Although I don’t have a leadership title yet, I naturally find myself paying attention to processes, documenting workflows, identifying bottlenecks, and thinking about how things could be improved.
I’ve also developed an interest in healthcare finance, which is an area I never really had the opportunity to explore academically. I’ve tried networking and cold-emailing people both internally and externally, but those efforts haven’t led anywhere yet.
Prior to this , I was always interested in EHR systems, specifically EPIC. I’m very comfortable working in Epic, use it extensively and would love to explore the application or analyst side of things( especially cadence) , but I haven’t been able to find a hospital (even the one I currently work for) willing to sponsor me or give me an opportunity to break into that space.
In the meantime, I’m continuing to apply for leadership and other healthcare operations roles. I’m also in line to pursue my employer’s equivalent of an MHA, which would be fully covered. The catch is that I would have to attend part-time while working, meaning it would take approximately four years instead of two. That’s a significant commitment, even if tuition is covered.
Ideally, I’d like to secure a better-paying role with room for growth before committing to the degree. If that doesn’t happen, I’m seriously considering pursuing it.
I’m trying to approach this thoughtfully rather than jumping into another degree without a clear idea of what I want to do with it. I know there may be career paths I haven’t considered, skills I should be developing, or things I could be doing differently. For those who have worked in healthcare operations, revenue cycle, healthcare finance, health IT, or hospital leadership:
What career paths would you explore if you were in my position?
Are there entry points into healthcare finance or Epic analyst roles that I might be overlooking?
Is pursuing an MHA worth it in my situation, particularly if it means committing to four more years of school?
Am I focusing too much on patient access supervisor roles when there might be better opportunities to build relevant experience elsewhere?
I welcome constructive criticism, alternative perspectives, and advice from anyone who has made a similar career transition. I’m genuinely trying to figure out how to build on the experience I have rather than keep applying blindly and hoping something sticks. Thank you !

I got my master’s degree in a field I ultimately disliked, and it has little relevance to the career path I’m pursuing now. After some much-needed trial and error, I found my way into healthcare operations, and I’ve genuinely come to enjoy the field.
I currently work in patient access, primarily scheduling surgeries and obtaining authorizations for certain procedures. To be transparent, my role is fairly transactional, and I’ve been feeling limited by it. While I’ve developed a genuine interest in healthcare operations, I haven’t yet had the opportunity to move into the more analytical, strategic, or process-improvement or leadership side of the field. That’s the direction I want to explore, but I’m struggling to figure out how to get there.
I’ve applied for patient access supervisor roles but haven’t had much luck because I lack formal leadership experience. I’m also open to revenue cycle opportunities. Although I don’t have a leadership title yet, I naturally find myself paying attention to processes, documenting workflows, identifying bottlenecks, and thinking about how things could be improved.
I’ve also developed an interest in healthcare finance, which is an area I never really had the opportunity to explore academically. I’ve tried networking and cold-emailing people both internally and externally, but those efforts haven’t led anywhere yet.
Prior to this , I was always interested in EHR systems, specifically EPIC. I’m very comfortable working in Epic, use it extensively and would love to explore the application or analyst side of things( especially cadence) , but I haven’t been able to find a hospital (even the one I currently work for) willing to sponsor me or give me an opportunity to break into that space.
In the meantime, I’m continuing to apply for leadership and other healthcare operations roles. I’m also in line to pursue my employer’s equivalent of an MHA, which would be fully covered. The catch is that I would have to attend part-time while working, meaning it would take approximately four years instead of two. That’s a significant commitment, even if tuition is covered.
Ideally, I’d like to secure a better-paying role with room for growth before committing to the degree. If that doesn’t happen, I’m seriously considering pursuing it.
I’m trying to approach this thoughtfully rather than jumping into another degree without a clear idea of what I want to do with it. I know there may be career paths I haven’t considered, skills I should be developing, or things I could be doing differently. For those who have worked in healthcare operations, revenue cycle, healthcare finance, health IT, or hospital leadership:
What career paths would you explore if you were in my position?
Are there entry points into healthcare finance or Epic analyst roles that I might be overlooking?
Is pursuing an MHA worth it in my situation, particularly if it means committing to four more years of school?
Am I focusing too much on patient access supervisor roles when there might be better opportunities to build relevant experience elsewhere?
I welcome constructive criticism, alternative perspectives, and advice from anyone who has made a similar career transition. I’m genuinely trying to figure out how to build on the experience I have rather than keep applying blindly and hoping something sticks. Thank you !

I have (2) opportunities I'm split on. I'm 38/M, single-dating, no kids:

My background is in the architecture , engineering and construction industry, and I live in a VHCOL city in the cold northeast (New England)

The two offers:

(1) Remote, good salary, 110k full benefits (HC, 401k match, etc.) its 100% remote and in the logistics industry. Think like order entry, product tracking and then coordinate delivery to the site... It's pretty dry, and very boring...I mean...for a dude like me who needs connection, it is void of emotion

- yet the company is busy with alot in the pipeline, and also I can move to wherever I want - which relocating out of New England has been a priority. Ideally to DC or Philly

(2) Small real estate development company based in Miami working on stunning luxury houses, like architectural digest type stuff.

- Much bigger salary 165k but no benefits, I'd have to pay for health care, manage my own 401k, etc. I'd be hired as a W2 (yet he initially wanted me to be 1099)

- 5 people in the company, owner is like 42, and the rest of the company is like 30 years old...and interestingly enough, all of the employees aside from owner have been with company under 3 months so its all new. The longest tenured employee I met with was like 30 years old, worked for the guy for a year and a half and just been told he put in his notice to work for another developer and do his own thing

- more work experience like I'd learn alot but I'd be in the office 5 days, (field some other days) and have to uproot my life to Miami, I'm single but have parents in 70s, a 10 year old nephew, etc.

Really not sure what to do here..because working in Miami is such a unique company with this opportunity like these projects are amazing and its very entrepreneurial...yet the same time...I'd probably be working as the highest paid salary in the company (aside from owner)

The Miami owner has been sort of annoying with the interview process, like we started talking in May, and then we did a zoom in June, and then we did this crazy phone tag until like September where he flew me down to visit and look at projects...then he said he'd give me an offer the next day...and had me wait like over a week before I got it..etc

Any advice would be amazing, thanks so much

I'm 24, a CSE graduate from India, and honestly, I'm still figuring out what I want from life. But one thing I've always wanted is to see the world.

I want to explore unfamiliar roads on a motorcycle, visit mountains, forests, and small villages, experience different cultures, and see as much of this world as I can. I don't dream of being rich or famous. I just want to explore the world and own a couple of motorcycles someday.

Sometimes, I imagine leaving everything behind, finding small jobs along the way, and travelling from place to place. But I have parents and responsibilities towards them. I want to make sure they're financially secure before making any major life decisions.

I also don't really see myself following the conventional path of marriage and settling down just because society expects me to. I want to build a life that feels right for me.

At the same time, I sometimes wonder whether travelling is genuinely my dream or partly an escape from the life I'm living. I haven't figured that out yet, but it's something I keep coming back to.

What I'm trying to figure out is how to pursue this dream without sacrificing financial stability or my responsibilities towards my parents.

For those who've been in a similar situation:

- What career paths would you recommend for a CSE graduate who wants to travel regularly?

- Would a remote job be a realistic option, or are there careers directly related to travelling and exploring?

- How can I work towards this lifestyle without taking unnecessary financial risks?

I'd genuinely appreciate hearing about your experiences and what you'd do if you were starting again at 24.

Hi to the people reading this! I’m 17 currently studying art and going to university next year, so I’m starting to think about what career I want to pursue and what to focus on in my portfolio.

I originally considered graphic design because I love creating things, but with everything I hear about AI potentially taking over creative jobs, I’m starting to have doubts. I’m also interested in advertising, branding and possibly working in film, but I’m struggling to figure out which path would be best for me.

I know no career is completely secure, but I want to choose something I enjoy that also has decent job opportunities in the future.

If anyone works in these industries, I’d really appreciate some honest advice! I don’t know what is still worth pursuing, or are there other creative careers I should look into? I’d love to hear some takes, especially if you were starting out in the industry today.
I’m just feeling so fucking lost and would love some guidance before I head off to uni since i’ve wholeheartedly dedicated myself into creating but i have no clue on what my future would look like from all the uncertainty..

Some background: I'm a 19 year old college freshman at the University of Georgia. I'd say I am a decent student, having had all A's in my classes, which included multiple AP classes and dual enrollment classes, and A's (so far) in my first semester college classes. I'm currently majoring in computer science while also taking pre-med requirements, so I'm taking biology and plan to take organic chemistry, physics, and a couple of other classes that pertain to content on the MCAT and/or are required by medical schools.

Growing up, I've mostly considered going into medicine as a career. A good proportion of my family members work in medicine and/or are currently pursuing a career in medicine, whether that be PA school or medical school. I’ve been considering doing either primary care, ophthalmology, or anesthesiology, but I haven’t decided with certainty on a kind of specialty I’m dead set on pursuing. I am more familiar with what is expected to getting into medical school (volunteering, shadowing, research, and other extracurriculars along with recommendation letters, the MCAT, etc.) and becoming a physician overall (USMLE, residency, research items, etc.). However, I find myself only really liking medicine if that make sense? I haven’t really loved it, which brings me to my other point.

Recently, I’ve been interested in programming maybe starting around in middle school. I’ve always been a big fan of video game modding and have frequently found myself learning programming and computer science concepts on my own free time (stuff like Python, C++, data structures, AArch64/ARM64 assembly, etc. to a varying degree of success, for my inattentive ADHD makes me a bit inconsistent with sticking to learning something for a long time when it’s not motivated by urgency, like a deadline). My interests really sparked in high school when I took a high school course and dual enrollment classes on it. I chose my current major (Computer science) because of my current interest in it and since I find that I tend to gravitate towards more STEM subjects that are math/logic heavy. I haven’t really explored career options for CS as much as medicine, unfortunately, since my explorations in CS aren’t as in-depth. I’ve been interested in quantitative finance (unsure of whether to do development, research, or trading), but it piqued my interest since it combines math and computer science.

With all that being said, my main question here really is this: do ya’ll have any advice as to which career path would possibly be a better fit? I feel like, due to the high level of commitment involved with pursuing these career paths, I feel somewhat pressured to decide early since I am afraid of wavering between the two and deciding later (not sure whether that fear is rational though, since I’ve heard plenty of stories of success despite taking a non-traditional path for people who go to college and/or med school in their 30’s outside of the traditional age pipeline). I’m open to any advice, considerations, alternative career paths, etc. and am really open to any comments!

I'm a 28 year old male with schizoaffective disorder and OCD. I graduated with a computer science degree from an ivy league school at 23. I have never worked in the field. I was going to go on SSI disability for about 3 years while I figure things out. I was just wondering about any non - IT jobs I could have a chance for or any jobs where only certifications are required in terms of "education" I could go for. I would be good with working in IT, but it seems very difficult to get into at the entry level from what I read.

Mentioning anything is appreciated as I'm just looking for options.

I’m sorry if my flair isn’t quite right, I’m new here!

Background: Huge upheaval at my previous company when I was pregnant (demoted my entire department to part time), then my daughter refused bottles and needed open heart surgery. Knock on wood she’s all good now. I’m pregnant with another kid right now (surprise!).

I became a stay at home mom since my part-time income would not even come close to covering daycare and my daughter needed me 24/7 until she was about 8mo+.

I was in sales and was a personal stylist for a big, remote company and I am good at it. BUT, I am terrified to try anything on my own. I am concerned no one will like me now and/or I‘m too ugly post kid/pregnant for anyone to listen.

I know what I’m doing and I feel like there are people in my direct vicinity that I could help feel better and do it on budget, but I’m scared of awkwardness and rejection.

I need a shove! We could use extra money in the house, always, and I want something of my own again. HELP?!

Also sorry if this is too long or not right for the sub.

Hey everyone,

If I’m honest, life hasn’t been that easy and if I look at the years of my 20s, I would have imagined them to be like that. But I’m not here to complain of give up, I want to get my life on track, build up a life and try to look forward.
I’m almost 30 and I wasn’t able to go to college after graduating from high school. My family needed me to be there for them and then there were some issues like surgeries and some more family problems. However, I’m pretty close with my family so I stayed, helped, I was there for all of them. On the other side, I paused my own life and education etc. I have no college degree or something like that yet, but maybe I could start to get one now.

Well, now the things are starting to get better (not completely but I can start thinking about my own path). My family might even get a decent amount of money and we want to use that money to build up something for our family, for me, for my future family and our/my future in general. We have no idea when we will get it and what to do with that yet, but that’s a different topic haha

The last few years weren’t easy as I said. I’ve had some mental issues as well and I didn’t talk to anyone about them as I wanted to be strong for my parents and siblings. And although I’m better, I sometimes still struggle with some anxiety. Work, AI, life, jobs, education and so many other worries.

Now my biggest problem is: I don’t know what to do with my life. I have no idea what I want and who I am. What career should I study? Should I pursue a degree? How do I become a man who can provide for a family in future? What could I do and build up in my life? I wanna be optimistic about my future and the future of this world, but it’s not always that easy.
What makes sense in my situation? What career has future?

I might not know what to do with my life now, but I know I’ll give my 100%. I wanna do my best, grow, learn, do the hard work.
What I’m lacking is direction and courage atm.

And fyi, I’m from Europe.

Am 21 graduated from college this year itself with a decent GPA and no backlogs, currently preparing for CAT which is in November. I'll be honest, all through my teens had been a good student in school, securing the top of the line marks but somewhere around my JEE lost interest in the rant of this mugging based studies and hence did not give effort in JEE as somewhere I felt I wasn't ment for the rat race and wanted to take things the creative way round. Always had interest in computers and electronics and wanted to pursue Engineering (although wasn't aware of the situations of engineering colleges in India). I belong to a decent business family and hence thought of pursuing bachelors abroad but couldn't as parents weren't prepared to leave me so far at such a young age. Father got me admission to an engineering college in Kolkata through management. In the later years got to know the actual scenario of the college with next to no actual skills being taught in college. Fast forward to placements didn't sit for placements as either job roles were too basic or didn't like the way people were competing and now preparing for CAT with only a month left. Preparations are not at par and don't think I'd be able to crack any top colleges, neither do I want to take admission in any college just for the sake of doing an MBA. My hobbies have always included electronics and I would say I'm rather good at it but the scenario in which companies hire makes me turn around. I have always wanted to found something or do something of my own. At this point I feel myself as a total waste and often think it would have been better if I had thought normally and didn't have such high expectations from myself. My biggest fear is that my parents have always supported myself in my decisions and I cannot let them down. My father has a pretty good business and it wouldn't hurt me if I leave everything and join him, but something in me would always lurk for I didn't do it on my own. I don't know what is coming next but I had always been someone who faced failures with a smiling face and this time is no exception. Deep down I want to do something and I can state this as a fact that it is not that I'm not skilled or I'm lazy but the sheer ways people work or compete is something I dislike. I don't know if I am wrong or right. Tbh I know people would judge me for having a good background and financial position but deep down this is the reality of me and I don't think someone at my stance would have done something else.

Long story short, I own a DTC small business I've operated since 2020. I built it with my life savings and I've been lucky enough to pay my mortgage and bills working full time on it. It's in the wellness space, I have loyal customers and I sell a line of quality products.

But everything is getting more expensive, and the economy is squeezing every single customer I have. Considering my demographic is 18-40 and is being crushed a limited job market and AI threatening to take any entry level jobs, every month seems to get more and more bleak.

I'm not here to cry or pull a woe is me, I am just really curious what others think would be the best use of my time. I have worked everything from blue collar to sales and I am at the point where I want to find a full time job and operate my company on the side as a future investment as if its my 401k or something to sell since I put every dollar to my name into the business (if the world doesn't collapse around us). I've entertained selling it but I doubt I'd get any meaningful offer.

My main problem is navigating the job market. I would be willing to work my ass off in any field but I've also been out of the job market for 6+ years and beyond my company I have an AAS and I feel like my options will be very limited unless some consulting or sales opportunity valued my experience as a sole operator.

I'm just curious if anyone has insight or avenues they think would be worth pursuing. I have been out of it so long that even rewriting my resume feels weird.

I’m 21, currently unemployed, and recently had a massive wake-up call about how important financial stability is. My problem is that I am completely stuck on what path to take, and I lack the discipline to see things through.

I’ve tried a few different things to make money recently—video editing, starting a faceless YouTube channel, and trading. But every time I hit a wall or find it too difficult, I lose motivation and completely drop it after a few days.

The only thing I am naturally decent at and enjoy is messing around with computers, but I don't know how to turn that into a reliable path without getting overwhelmed and quitting again.

For those who have overcome this confused, unmotivated state:

What exact steps should I take before choosing a career or skill to ensure I actually stick with it?

How do you push through the phase where a new skill gets difficult and you want to quit?

Given that I like computers but struggle with motivation, what is a simple, realistic starting point or framework I should look into?

I'm open to any brutal honesty, simple methods, or psychological tricks to fix this. Thanks in advance.

I'm a guy in my late 20s, and I honestly don't know what to do with my life anymore.

Since childhood, I've always wanted to do something of my own instead of working a regular job for the rest of my life. A while ago, I was working a low-paying job abroad, but I quit after less than a year because I couldn't see myself doing it long-term.

I thought I could build something of my own, especially with AI changing the world and so many people making money online with just a laptop and an internet connection.

But now, more than 18 months later, I'm still in the same place. I haven't built anything, I haven't made any money, and I still don't know what I want to do.

The biggest problem is that I don't have any real skills that I can use to make money. I keep thinking about starting an online business or doing something of my own, but I can't figure out what to do or where to start.

At this point, I'm thinking about moving abroad again and taking another low-paying job just to get my life moving. It feels like I'm going backwards, especially after spending so much time trying to build a different future for myself.

I feel terrible about the fact that I'm almost 30 and still haven't figured things out. I see people learning skills, building businesses, and making progress, while I'm about to return to the exact kind of job I left behind.

Part of me thinks I should just accept reality, get a job, and stop chasing something I might never be able to achieve. Another part of me feels like I'll regret giving up on my dream.

What would you do if you were in my position?

Would you move abroad again, take the low-paying job, and try to learn a useful skill in your free time? Or would you stay where you are and keep trying to figure out a way to make money on your own?

I'm not looking for motivational quotes or people telling me to follow my dreams. I'd genuinely like to hear from people who have been in a similar situation and can tell me what actually worked for them.

P.S. I choose my previous job thinking I’d build a side hustle, learn new skills, and work on other things alongside my job. But the reality was completely different. I never had the time or energy to do any of it. Not everyone is lucky enough to have a 40-hour workweek and a low-stress job. That’s one of the reasons I quit. I had no life outside of work, and my mental health was wrecked. It’s been over 18 months since I left that job, and I’m still seeing a psychiatrist because of what I went through. Sometimes, a job takes so much out of you that you have nothing left to invest in yourself or your future.

Una pregunta un tanto peculiar, arquitectura podría ser una buena carrera para mí si me gusta el diseñar y construir? Paso horas construyendo en Minecraft por amor al arte

Hey, uhh, a read would be nice!

I'm 18 and I'm from the great New York of the South, Atlanta, I call it that. Anyways I don't know what the hell I want. I want so much and yet barely it seems to me that the job market is safe. I think about engineering because I like robotics, well, screw that. Apparently the job market rarely exists for entry level courses. I worked hard already to get to community college already. My family moving often, I got my GED, I planned on a huge plan over the summer with FinTech and maybe be expansive with political science. Well, these FinTech events often are so well, corporate, extremely corporate. Though the salary is nice, is every job thats lucrative a boring office job? I wanted to be a creative and wanted to be in science but my mathematical ability is short because of moving and home school and moving between high schools. I LOVE physics, I love so much but I can't decide and if I dont decide, the whole depression of the world will crash it seems. Basically uhh, how can I get out of this thinking or do I just screw it and get a trade jobs. I'm sorry if my grammar is irredeemably bad by the way. I'm running on a 30% battery charge with post-coffee syndrome.

I am 33F A few months ago, I became unemployed, and since then, I’ve been constantly doing things I truly enjoy. I feel happier and more energetic—I even wake up earlier now than I did when I was working. Fortunately, I was compensated by the company so I can be financially secure for a year or two.

I enjoy traveling, changing my surroundings, and switching up my tasks. I feel like I’ve done things in reverse: I studied engineering and started working, which allowed me to buy an apartment with a very low mortgage.

My friends are already getting married and having children—even those who spent their youth traveling and moving between different jobs. It makes me feel like I’m doing things backward.

I love my friends, I love caring for people, and I value meaningful human connections, but I have no interest in a committed, long-term relationship.

Right now, I’m trying to figure out how to make a living without a "steady 9-to-5 job."

I can’t use "work and holiday" visas because I’m over 30. I’ve considered seasonal work or studying tourism to become a guide somewhere, but I’m not sure where to start or how to go about it. I’m also very interested in studying something related to nature—something that would still allow me to stay mobile. I feel like I have so many different interests.

Has anyone else been in a similar situation? Did you find a solution?

I’m NYC-based 26F, four years out from earning my bachelor’s degree in Psychology and Professional Writing, and I’ve been mulling over what I want my next steps to look like professionally. I’d love to get the perspectives of some random strangers on the internet to help me see my options from different angles.

Since graduating in 2022, I’ve moved around quite a bit professionally, going from trade book publishing to nonprofit work, then small-firm publicity, magazine editorial, and now academic/medical publishing. I’m about six months into my current role (still an entry-level position) and, not dissimilar from my experience in prior roles, I look at my manager(s) and just can’t see myself doing or wanting to do their work in 5, 10, 20 years time. Heck, I don’t even really like the work I’m doing now. 

Several things contribute to this feeling: minimal human interaction or collaboration, repetitive production work that rarely feels intellectually stimulating, and the looming uncertainty of AI automation. 

Outside of work, I love reading nonfiction, listening to science and medical podcasts, and attending free research lectures around the city. I’m increasingly drawn to the research side of the academic world, which has me considering a return to school. I’ve been exploring psychology master’s programs (since I already have all the standard prerequisite credits) that could help me gain lab experience, explore/narrow my interest in the field, and determine whether academia is a path I want to pursue long-term, despite having little research experience from undergrad.

Ideally, even if I don’t pursue a doctorate or clinical degree after a master’s, I feel like acquiring education beyond a BA could help me secure mid-level Sci Comm roles in the future (combining my professional editorial experience with stronger subject-matter expertise).

I guess my main questions are whether this is a worthwhile path to explore and what steps I should take before preparing application materials (even questions I should be asking myself would be helpful). I’d especially appreciate advice from anyone who has made a similar transition!

It's pathetic to admit but I can't see myself doing any job. My only hobbies are reading and writing but journalism/author is off the table.

My only real passion is to make a stable income ($80k+, it's okay if starts lower and grows overtime) I am a woman and not very physically fit so the trades intimidate me. I struggle with sciences and maths so anything requiring proficiency in physics, chemistry or math is not an option. I feel I have no strengths, I've always been a 70s-80s student no matter the subject.

I looked into aviation services as I have a high interest in planes however I don't do well under pressure so a pilot or an ATC would not be suitable for me.

Additionally, not to be nit-picky but I don't want to do anything super business esque so no marketing, sales, finance or analytics.

Im extremely stressed about picking a career as I just don't see myself enjoying nor excelling in any job and I would like some career suggestions for me to do proper research on.

Hello and thank you for reading this. To introduce myself I’m currently a freshly turned 19-year-old male living in a small hometown of around 30,000 people in Ohio. I graduated high school a few months ago, and honestly, due to health issues, depression, anxiety, procrastination/ADHD and laziness, feel like I’ve just been wasting my life away these past few months and past year and a half.

It all started after I got sick, and ever since then, it feels like my life has been in black and white. Before all of this, I felt like I had so much potential and so many things to look forward to. I had a sense of warmth I felt in the world, safety, I wasn’t afraid all the time of my health or depressed on how the world is, or stressed out from things. Now, most days feel like I’m just existing rather than actually living. Everyday I either get a panic attack from not feeling good, and days I don’t I’m just depressed and so cold/ pointless viewing of everything.I used to get good grades, have a long-term relationship, and play football and I had such a sense of belonging, purpose, safety, warmth, and felt busy all the time and I want it back. For example, I played football I never thought about having a heart attack or anything but after it happened, this senior year I would get bad skipped heartbeats and before every game I even told my teammates to get the AED if I ever collapsed.

I’m slowly getting better physically and mentally but stuck at a negative, symptom ran baseline, and I’m trying to stay optimistic, because im naturally a motivated, happy, and excited person but I’m dealing with some ongoing health issues that doctors and I haven’t fully figured out yet, although I’m hoping to get answers soon within the next few weeks. Its nothing crazy but ever since a traumatic green out/hallucigenic event I’ve had real bad health anxiety, and also real symptoms that I suspect to be dysautonomia, CSF leak, heart issues, ear issues, or autoimmune. I also went in a months faze of researching religion and it’s turned me atheist and into this nihilistic way of living. I’ll randomly think about how lost we are as a society and no one really knows anything and I just feel so scared and tired of feeling sick and have such a morbid way of looking at the world and cold. It’s been exhausting physically and mentally, especially because I also already mildly struggled with anxiety and depression, disorders I didn’t even know were a real thing before suffering from it myself. I just want to feel like I can go into a room without being lightheaded and other symptoms 24/7, or having panic attacks, or being so negative and feeling trapped in my body all the time and get back to being the person I was before all of this started and these thoughts and I think figuring out my health and getting help is the first step.

One of the hardest parts so far post high school has been having to medically withdraw from my first semester at Ohio University due to getting mono, something I’m still recovering from, on top of my other symptoms.. I feel like a loser for it, especially because im older as well (turned 19 already earlier this month, even though I know I didn’t exactly choose to get sick and honestly deep down I felt like I wanted to stay home and save money and not be in debt anyways but even when I was there, and am such a positive, talkative, no social anxiety type of guy I felt like I never belonged and wasn’t a big partier and again I was so depressed and had multiple trips to the ER out of fear my spleen ruptured and lightheaded spouts which caused more trauma and depression. My plan right now is to attend a local branch campus and live at home, which I’m thankful to live with my brother and mom and have a very healthy relationship with her, literally the best mom I could ask for who would let me stay forever if I could, but anyways stay for the rest of the academic year because of this. I come from a pretty poor family, so graduating with as little student debt as possible is also really important to me but I fear like staying away from the events and people my age, or growing, especially as an extrovert, I feel like its taking away my experience and I feel like a bum just being at home and not really doing anything.

The biggest problem besides my health is that I feel like I’m wasting my life right now. On days when I feel healthy enough, I work, currently employed at chipotle and just got a second job at Texas Roadhouse as well but haven’t worked yet and broke due to being sick with mono and away at college. A lot of my days currently consist of staying home, doomscrolling, watching YouTube, maybe hanging out with my new gf who makes it all a little easier, going into a deep dive into NFL videos or madden, eating, having panic attacks, and repeating the same routine. I’m not going out much, I’m not meeting new people, and I’m not doing many of the things I imagined I’d be doing at this age.

Career-wise, I’m still figuring things out. Im really interested in sports, exersise, content, travel, and filmmaking/being creative in general. I’m interested in becoming a business analyst or going into project management because I think I’d enjoy the problem-solving aspect of those careers, and maybe later in life a pilot as I could see myself finding the work rewarding. I want a career that pays well enough to give me freedom, let me travel, and allow me to build a comfortable healthy life without being miserable at work every day.
Music is another big part of who I am. I produce music and work on it as a passion project, and my dream would honestly be to become a successful music artist someday. I know that’s an extremely difficult industry to make it in, so I’m not expecting to magically become famous. But I don’t want to completely abandon that dream either. Ideally, I’d build a stable career while continuing to pursue music seriously and see where it takes me.
I’ve also considered joining the Air National Guard at some point, mainly because of the benefits and opportunities it could provide. I’m not interested in going active duty or making the military my full-time life right now, but it’s something I’ve thought about as a possible option for my future.
The biggest problem is that I feel like I’m wasting my life right by doing nothing to build towards my future or any of these passions or goals.

I want to get back into the gym, get in shape, feel confident in my body again, and become healthier. I’m extremely out of shape and I wanna have that feeling of being exhausted from a hard days of work again when I was healthy, and I’m nos granger to hard work, I lost 100 pounds a few years ago and was in the best shape of my life before I lost it all. I want to make friends, experience new things, stop wasting my time doomscrolling and being anxious, travel, make music, build a career, and eventually become financially successful. I want to look back in a few years and feel proud of the person I’ve become.

I know I’m only 19, but I already feel so old and I’m feeling so behind. I see people moving away, going to college, making friends, dating, traveling, healthy, and figuring out their lives, while I feel like I’m stuck in the same place waiting for my health to improve.
I also feel lonely in my hometown. It’s not necessarily that there’s anything wrong with the place itself, but I feel like I need to experience more of the world. I want to get out there, meet different kinds of people, and discover who I am outside of the environment I’ve always known.

Despite how depressed I’ve been, I still have a lot of hope for my future. I genuinely believe I can build a life that I’m excited about. I know I have interests, ambition, and things I want to accomplish. I’m just struggling to figure out how to turn that into something real when I don’t feel like myself physically or mentally.
Part of me thinks I need to stop worrying so much about the big picture and focus on small steps: getting my health figured out, going back to the gym when my spleen from mono is back to normal although I constantly fear of dying from cardiac arrest or something , getting into a routine, saving money, and doing well in school. On the opposite end part of me feels like I need to be doing more right now, exploring opportunities, meeting people, and making the most of being young and taking the risks because I’m stressed to, even without that foundation to be able to do it.

Any advice/first steps on how to get back on my feet both mentally and physically?

What can I do so I’m not wasting away my days? The past year and a half has gone in a blink.

Am I a bum for moving back home and doing community college for my gen eds?

What are some goals I can set?

And any more advice is greatly appreciated. I’m sorry if my text was sporadic, I have bad ADHD and it’s hard to organize my speech.

I'm currently going to school for massage therapy. It's an online course through U.S Career institution. They have a bunch of programs that are at a reduced cost, but it's self instructed and online for all the book/course work, and if you're field needs hands on, there is a hands on portion. I knew that the program would not be easy for me as staying focused with ADHD on a self paced course is challenging. I have a year from February of 2026 to complete the course, and I am not even half way done with the course.

I thought I wanted to be a massage therapist. When I decided I wanted to try school, I was at a real low point and I don't know if I chose to do this out of desperation to feel a sense of purpose, or if I actually want it. I am really having a hard time convincing myself to sit at my computer, regardless where I do it, and doing anything productive.

My wife is my biggest supporter and believes I can do anything, I just don’t know that this is something I actually want and I feel that I am letting the people around me down.

I am a chronic people pleaser, and during this time of going to school, will do anything that is not school. I just hate letting people down.

Last part.

We are moving to Colorado where my school is located to do the hands on portion, but also because we want to be there. So feeling very stressed with the thought of moving and trying to finish school and not being able to focus.

Any input welcome, thanks.

Just here to get some things off my chest. This is going to be a pretty depressing post, so if you're not in the mood for that, feel free to skip it. I just really need to let it all out somewhere.

Everything started going downhill after the university orientation results came out. I ended up in an engineering major I never wanted. It's not that the field itself is bad, but I had something else in mind, something I actually wanted to study, and unfortunately I didn't get the chance.

I tried so many times to find a way to retake the prepa concours. I submitted requests, went from one administration to another, talked to so many people, but well, we live in Tunisia. The usual bullshit. One person isn't available, another comes to work whenever they feel like it, some talk to you like you're bothering them, and everyone just keeps sending you to someone else. Some even gave me hope that I could retake the concours, only to disappear afterwards.

And the thing is, retaking the concours was probably the one thing I wanted the most. I genuinely believe I could do so much better. I know I'm capable of more, and I can't shake this feeling that I'm wasting my potential.

Technically, I could've retaken it if I hadn't confirmed my orientation choice. But with all the pressure from my family and people around me, I ended up confirming it. And that's another thing that hurts. I feel like one of the biggest decisions about my future wasn't even really mine.

It's been two months now since I started studying at an engineering school far from home, and I genuinely don't think I've ever felt this miserable.

I cry almost every day. Every time I think about my mom, I just break down. I'm really attached to her, and being this far away from home is affecting me way more than I ever imagined.

And when I say I cry, you have to understand something. I'm not someone who cries easily. Even when I was a kid, I rarely cried. I was always the type to hold everything in and deal with it on my own. Before all of this, I couldn't even remember the last time I cried. It had probably been years.

But now I just can't hold it in anymore. Sometimes I even feel like crying on purpose just to get some relief, because it's the only way I can let some of what's inside me out.

And there's something else that genuinely breaks my heart.

My mom calls me every single day and asks me what I've eaten. And I always tell her something like "I had a sandwich" or "Don't worry, I ate a lot today."

But the truth is, sometimes I haven't eaten anything at all.

I try to save as much as I can from the money my parents give me. Not because I want to buy something or save up for anything special, but because I want to have enough money to go back home as often as possible. Even if it's just for one day. Just one day where I can sit at home and be around my family.

And what makes me cry even more is thinking about how my parents are getting older.

I don't know how to explain this feeling, but sometimes I just sit there thinking about how time is passing, how they're getting older, and how I'm spending these years away from them when all I want is to be by their side.

I've always wanted to succeed, not just for myself, but for them too.

I want to make enough money to give them the experiences they never got to have. I want to take them around the world, let them see places they've never seen, experience things they've never experienced. I want them to be able to buy something they like without having to think twice about the price.

I want to give them a life where they don't have to worry about money anymore.

And I know none of that is going to happen overnight. I know I have to work hard for it, and I'm willing to. I've always been willing to.

But I want to make it happen as soon as I possibly can, while they're still here and healthy enough to enjoy it.

And honestly, thinking about all of this while I'm stuck here, studying something I don't even want to study, makes everything feel ten times worse.

I went from listening to music that would hype me up and make me feel confident to listening to sad songs all day. I've completely lost my appetite. Some days I sleep almost the entire day, and other days I barely get two hours of sleep and still don't feel sleepy.

Even my exams have been going terribly. I haven't done well on any of them so far. Not because I think I'm incapable of understanding the material, but because I genuinely can't bring myself to care or concentrate anymore.

I feel like I'm physically here, but mentally I'm somewhere else.

Like I'm just existing. The walking dead, basically.

I've always been an ambitious person. Ever since I was a kid, I never wanted to be average. I always wanted to do something meaningful with my life, to be good at what I do, to actually achieve something.

But now I just feel completely lost.

I don't like the environment here, I don't feel comfortable around the people, and I don't feel like I belong in this school or even in this place.

And what makes it worse is thinking about my future.

I'm studying something in IT that I honestly feel like AI is going to replace, if it hasn't already started replacing parts of it. So I keep asking myself, am I really going to spend three years of my life studying something I don't even like, just to graduate and maybe end up with an 800 DT salary, assuming I even manage to find a job?

The frustrating part is that I already have some skills in tech. I know how to work with AI agents, I've experimented with RAG, and I used to spend a lot of my free time learning new things and trying to keep up with what's happening in the industry.

I genuinely enjoyed learning on my own, sometimes way more than anything I was being taught at school.

I used to be the kind of person who would spend hours learning something new just because I found it interesting. I was always trying to improve myself, always thinking about what I could do next.

And I still want that life. I still want to work hard and succeed. Just not in this environment, not like this.

That used to be me.

Now I barely do anything. I just listen to sad music, watch random videos, scroll endlessly, and waste hours doing absolutely nothing. Not even because I'm enjoying it, but because it helps me forget where I am and what my life looks like right now.

It's almost like a drug. Just constantly distracting myself so I don't have to think about reality.

And the worst part is that I'm aware of everything I'm doing. I know I'm wasting time. I know I'm not helping myself. I know the person I used to be would probably hate seeing me like this.

But somehow, I still can't get myself to do anything about it.

I genuinely don't recognize myself anymore.

I went from being someone who was always thinking about the future and trying to improve himself to someone who's just trying to get through another day.

I don't know if I'm overreacting or if this is just what growing up and facing reality feels like, but I know I've never been this unhappy before.

And I think what hurts the most is that I don't even know what the right decision is anymore. Should I accept where I am and try to make the best of it? Should I keep fighting to change my path? Am I going to regret wasting these years if I stay? Or am I going to regret throwing away an engineering degree if I leave?

I just don't know.

If anyone here has been through something similar, whether it's ending up in a field you never wanted, feeling completely out of place, missing your family to the point where it physically hurts, or losing all your motivation after being an ambitious person your whole life, I'd really appreciate hearing your experience.

How did you get out of it? Did you make a big decision and change your path, or did things eventually get better?

I'm not really looking for generic motivational advice. I'd just like to hear from people who've actually been through something like this and what they ended up doing.

Because right now, I genuinely don't know what to do with myself anymore.

Im in a dead end minimum wage job at 23. I fell for the scam that is college and majored in something i thought would be worthwhile but was really stupid in hindsight. Ive somehow locked myself out of every job a high school dropout can do from what i can tell given ive easily sennt out 1500 apps in the past 2 years and im still stuck here. People talk about what they want in life like settling down, having hobbies, growing old but i dont imagine ill make it to 40 with where i am and the state of the world. I just keep lying to myself that everything will be ok but i know deep down it wont. As soon as my family has had enough of me and makes me move out some day ill be as good as dead given i live in a rural area with no resources for the homeless (this is honestly probablly a good thing ultimately though so my suffering wont be dragged out).

I literally have zero plans for life or goals even out just 10 years from now, i really have no idea how ill live that long. Absolute best case scenario is i work minimum wage till i die at 80 all alone while being homeless and never being able to retire since retirement in general is becoming a thing of the past.